Clothing and other articles to be worn, including, for example, hats, shoes, and underwear, are often displayed in retail space by hooks, hangers, or hangtags (collectively, hangers). Hanging articles may keep them neat (e.g., not wrinkled), minimize the space required to hold multiple variants of the articles (such as different colors or sizes), and present an aesthetically pleasing way to view articles available for purchase. The same hangers may be used by a consumer to store an article at home.
Some articles, such as underwear, may be clipped to a hanger. However, the clip may not secure fabrics with a silky texture, which may lead to the articles disengaging from the hanger and falling, or the clip may leave undesirable impressions in the article from a secure press-fit, or may even damage the article. Some articles, such as clothing or shoes, may be further attached to a hanger by additional fasteners that bind the article to the hanger. Such additional fasteners may include stitches sewn through or around the hanger, or fasteners like the thin plastic strands with flattened ends that are sometimes referred to as tagging barbs. However, such additional fasteners may interfere with a consumer's manipulation of the article prior to purchase by, for example, preventing the consumer from trying on the article for size or holding the article against a body to assess likely fit. Further, such threads may be frustrating for a consumer to remove prior to using or wearing the article, and improper removal may damage the article.
Hangers may be marked to help a consumer find a specific variant of an article. For example, the hangers may be color-coded or may be marked with numbers or letters to indicate the size of the article on the hanger. However, the color-code or other indicia may not be useful to the consumer beyond selecting a size, color, or other variant of the article. For example, the color-code or other indicia may not help the consumer understand how to use or care for the article.
There remains a need for a retail display hanger for an article which can both securely hold and easily release an article. There remains a need for a hanger which facilitates the use of and care for an article after it is purchased.